PEORIA — Paul Macek, the CEO at Proctor hospital, wouldn't speculate on what would have happened if Proctor hadn't merged with UnityPoint Health-Methodist, though at least one supporter has indicated the financially strapped hospital was near failure or restructuring.

Debbie Simon, the CEO at Methodist hospital, wouldn't comment specifically on the possibility of reductions in services or employees, but she promised an open, transparent process as the two hospitals integrate operations during the next several years.

Instead, Simon and Macek focused on how the union will benefit both hospitals, doctors and the community by increasing access to services and providing opportunities to expand services.

Officials from both hospitals gathered at the Hult Center for Healthy Living, on Proctor's 55-acre campus, for a press conference Thursday, two days after state regulators unanimously approved their affiliation agreement.

With the final step of the affiliation process complete, Proctor gets a new name, UnityPoint Health-Proctor, and a new CEO. Officials describe the arrangement as one hospital with two campuses and one management team — led by Simon. Both are under the umbrella of Iowa-based UnityPoint Health system, which Methodist joined in 2011.

The UnityPoint system could absorb Proctor without affecting its bottom line, UnityPoint Health CEO Bill Leaver said before the press conference.

Proctor's Macek said he could not discuss his role in the new arrangement, but added he was "jazzed" about his future. Simon said she will announce the new executive structure soon. Three members of the newly dissolved Proctor board of trustees will join the Methodist board. Officials also will give more details about other plans in early 2014, she said.

The affiliation covers all Proctor operations, including five Proctor First Care Centers and its physicians' practices, bringing the total number of employees to 4,000 and more than 100,000 patients covered by the hospitals' combined physicians' practices.

Proctor's merger with Methodist ends a whirlwind year that began with plans to sell major assets to OSF Healthcare System and strengthen that relationship.